EV Batteries – Chinese exports have surged for five consecutive months, with August showing an 8.7% increase year-on-year, surpassing the forecasted 6.5% 18-09-2024
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The State of Chemical Recycling of Plastics
Chemical recycling of plastics, also known as advanced recycling, is an emerging technology aimed at addressing the global plastic waste crisis. Unlike mechanical recycling, which involves melting and reshaping plastics, chemical recycling breaks down plastic waste into its molecular components, allowing for the production of new plastics, fuels, or chemicals.
Currently, chemical recycling is in its early stages of development and commercialization. Companies and research institutions are exploring various methods, including pyrolysis (heating plastics in the absence of oxygen) and depolymerization (breaking plastics back into monomers). EV Batteries
Some major corporations are investing in these technologies, but large-scale adoption is limited due to technological and economic challenges.
Advantages:
- Broader range of plastics: Chemical recycling can process mixed and contaminated plastics, which are often unsuitable for mechanical recycling.
- Closed-loop potential: It enables the production of virgin-quality plastics, reducing the need for fossil-based raw materials.
- Waste reduction: It offers a solution for hard-to-recycle plastics like multilayer packaging. EV Batteries
Disadvantages:
- High cost and energy use: Chemical recycling is energy-intensive and expensive, making it less economically viable compared to mechanical recycling.
- Limited scalability: Most chemical recycling plants are still in pilot stages, and scaling up remains a significant hurdle.
- Environmental concerns: The process can produce harmful emissions if not managed properly, and some critics argue it may divert attention from reducing plastic use.
Despite these challenges, chemical recycling holds promise, but it will require technological advancements and regulatory support to become a mainstream solution. EV Batteries
Chinese exports have surged for five consecutive months, with August showing an 8.7% increase year-on-year, surpassing the forecasted 6.5%
This spike in exports, coupled with falling prices, is raising concerns in Europe and the US. Many Chinese goods have seen price drops, signaling that the domestic market is no longer absorbing the production surplus. This has led to a risk of “deflationary exports,” which could harm Western industries by flooding the market with cheap products.
The real estate crisis in China has exacerbated the situation, as demand for goods like furniture and appliances has dropped, leading to a decline in prices. EV Batteries
Exported goods, from clothing to electronics, have seen a significant price fall, with household appliances down 5% and steel prices dropping 9%. This oversupply has led to a 22% increase in steel exports, hurting global producers.
Rare earths, essential for technologies like electric vehicles, are also seeing price declines due to overproduction. Despite these drops, China remains a dominant player, controlling 67% of the market, compared to 98% in 2010. EV Batteries
As Europe and the US scramble to introduce trade barriers, the long-term effects of this export boom remain uncertain. Both regions may face increased pressure on local industries if Chinese exports continue to rise while domestic demand in China stagnates.
StoreDot, an Israeli company, has developed ultra-fast charging prismatic battery cells that can recharge from 10% to 80% in just 10 minutes without compromising performance or longevity
These cells offer a new alternative to the pouch-style cells (XFC, or Extreme Fast Charging), which StoreDot has been refining for years. The XFC cells provide around 100 miles (160 km) of range with just a 5-minute charge.
The switch to prismatic cells offers a key advantage: their structure provides better mechanical protection, making them more resistant to deformation during high-power charging. This improved reliability allows for even faster charging. EV Batteries
Amir Tirosh, head of StoreDot’s technical department, highlighted this transition as a major achievement, noting that they now offer both pouch and prismatic cells, catering to different manufacturer preferences.
Several automakers have already tested StoreDot’s pouch cells, with a Polestar 5 prototype achieving 80% charge in 10 minutes.
As StoreDot continues to enhance pouch cells, they are also preparing prismatic cell prototypes for third-party testing, with partners such as Volvo-Polestar, Mercedes, and VinFast already involved in the evaluation process. EV Batteries
South Korean researchers have developed a groundbreaking car battery that recharges in just five seconds, potentially revolutionizing the electric vehicle industry
The innovation lies in a hybrid sodium-ion battery that combines anode materials typically used in batteries with cathodes designed for supercapacitors. This hybrid architecture allows for both fast charging and high storage capacity, addressing common issues in sodium-ion technology. EV Batteries
By integrating fine active materials into porous carbon, derived from metal-organic structures, the team achieved improved kinetics and drastically reduced charging times. The battery surpasses lithium-ion technology in terms of both energy density (247 Wh/kg) and power density (34,748 W/kg), offering a significant leap forward in performance.
Published in Energy Storage Materials, the study highlights this technology’s potential to reshape the future of sustainable mobility. This breakthrough offers a cheaper, faster-charging, and less resource-dependent alternative to current lithium-based solutions, marking a major advance in the quest for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions. EV Batteries
Circularizing rigid plastics: How AI, machine learning and biotechnology are changing the market
Rigid plastics packaging has the highest recycling rates of all conventional polymer-based materials, and makes up the majority of plastic packaging formats. While debates are raging over whether production should be legally capped, industry leaders are working to boost recycling rates further and use biotechnology to circularize feedstocks through product design. EV Batteries
The UN Global Plastic Treaty is set for final negotiations in November, with many nations in the “High Ambition Coalition” calling for blanket caps on plastic production. These nations include EU countries and the US, who will be pitted against petrochemical trade partners in the Middle East and Asia.
Industry stakeholders in the US recently branded the government’s decision to back production limits as a “betrayal,” and claim that recycling is the needed priority. But whatever the outcome of the treaty, vast amounts of rigid plastics will continue to be produced every year. Plastics Europe estimates global production was at 390 million tons in 2021. EV Batteries
We speak to Ed Kosior, industry expert and founder of Nextek and Nextloopp, Jörg Sabo, innovation director at Greiner Packaging and Thomas Philipon, CEO of TotalEnergies Corbion, to hear how the industry is striving to increase recycling rates under the umbrella of global legislation as it currently stands.
AI entering the sortation space
Kosior says that one of the most important developments over the past year has been the introduction of AI and machine learning to recycling systems. EV Batteries
Researchers have developed a revolutionary “conversion” battery that remains functional even after being bent or cut, without catching fire or exploding—key hazards associated with traditional lithium-ion batteries.
These batteries, commonly found in devices like phones, e-bikes, and electric cars, pose risks when damaged. A tragic incident in New York in April 2023 highlighted these dangers when a faulty e-bike battery led to a fire, killing two children. While lithium-ion batteries are generally safe, the new battery represents a significant improvement in safety.
The innovation lies in using sulfur, specifically an iron sulfide cathode, developed by an international research team led by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. EV Batteries
Sulfur is both cost-effective and energy-dense. However, a major challenge with metal sulfides is their rapid degradation when reacting with carbonate-based electrolytes. To overcome this, the team coated the iron sulfide cathodes with polyacrylic acid (PAA), which preserved battery capacity and efficiency.
The prototype battery showed no decay after 100 charge-discharge cycles and maintained 72% capacity after 300 cycles. Remarkably, it remained stable even when cut or bent. Though still experimental, this technology offers a promising future for safer, longer-lasting lithium batteries. EV Batteries
The details of the research : “Chelating-Type Binders toward Stable Cycling and High-Safety Transition-Metal Sulfide-Based Lithium Batteries
Automotive – Why Car Manufacturers Should Go “All-In” on Electric Cars 17-09-2024
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